The Shepherd’s Garden Seeds catalog, which White Flower Farm bought from founder Renee Shepherd in 1985, will be folded into the White Flower Farm catalog this spring.
“Mailing the two catalogs didn’t make sense, because there was getting to be a lot of overlap between the products and customers,” says Web editor Renee Beaulieu.
Although Shepherd’s originally specialized in vegetable seeds, as time passed the catalog “became very duplicative” of the White Flower Farm book, Beaulieu says. Both catalogs now sell fruit, herb, and ornamental plants, for example. “The seed business is diminishing,” Beaulieu notes. “People don’t seem to have the time anymore, and seeds take time.”
Shepherd’s customers will receive a seeds insert in the spring 2003 White Flower Farm catalog, which is scheduled to be in homes after the holidays. After that mailing, Litchfield, CT-based White Flower Farm will continue to offer seeds through its Website.
As for the retail portion of Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, founder Shepherd bought back that portion of the business and will fold it into her Renee’s Gardens seed business.